Adidas

• Adidas, the second-largest manufacturer of athletic wear, never had a stellar labor record, but with its acquisition of rival sportswear company, Reebok, it becomes even more concerning.

• Factories from which Adidas sources have been accused of sexual harassment of workers, safety violations and not allowing workers sick leave when they were injured in the factories, excessive work hours, and wages so low that workers often have to send their children to distant villages to be looked after by relatives because they can’t afford to take care of them on their factory pay.

• You can be sporty and sweatshop-free. Visit Go Green. to find out how.

-- Profile Updated 08/04/2010

About Adidas

Adidas produces athletic footwear, such as tennis, running, and basketball shoes. Adidas America is the Beaverton, Oregon-based subsidary of Adidas Salomon, based in Germany. In FY 2006, Adidas recorded revenues of $7.78 billion and employed 15,935 people. On January 30, 2006 Adidas completed its acquisition of former rival Reebok for approximately $3.8 billion.

Campaigns

Support Turkish Garment Workers

Paxar, a US-based company that produces garments for Adidas…

read more

Paxar, a US-based company that produces garments for Adidas, Disney, Gap, Levi's, Nike, Puma, Wal-Mart and other brands, has blatantly violated Turkish law and corporate codes of conduct by squashing trade union organizing at the company, firing worker activists, pressuring union members to renounce their membership, discriminating against union members and failing to negotiate with an authorized trade union. The Clean Clothes Campaign is calling on consumers globally to pressure these major brand name companies to protect the workers making their garments. Click on the URL below to act now.

United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) is calling for consumer action to get Adidas…

read more

United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) is calling for consumer action to get Adidas, Nike and Russell to address the wrongful termination of workers at the Hermosa garment factory in El Salvador. Managers at Hermosa closed the factory in May 2005 following the discovery that workers were organizing to form a union. Some machinery was taken to another non-union facility also owned by Montalvo and Hermosa closed its doors leaving workers without their due social security, pension and back pay. When workers applied for jobs at another collegiate producing factory called Chi-Fung, they found that they had been blacklisted. USAS is asking Adidas, Nike and Russell to pay workers their severance and ensure priority rehiring in response to blacklists. Take action by clicking on the URL below.

In October 2005, 33 workers from PT Panarub Factory in Tangerang, Indonesia were unfairly dismissed after they demanded better wor…

read more

In October 2005, 33 workers from PT Panarub Factory in Tangerang, Indonesia were unfairly dismissed after they demanded better working conditions and participated in a legal strike asking for better pay for workers. The factory’s workers produced sports shoes for Adidas and other sportswear brands, and were paid as little as 60 cents an hour despite a dramatic rise in the cost of living in Indonesia. The factory management fired nearly all of the leaders of the union, Perbupas, in an effort to stop the workers from fighting for better working conditions and exercising their right to freedom of association. Adidas, the main buyer of Panarub goods delayed action in the case and was unwilling to offer significant incentives to the Panarub management for their compliance with labor rights and reinstatement of the dismissed workers. Even after the Indonesian Human Rights Commission officially confirmed that the workers had been dismissed unfairly, Adidas failed to put significant pressure on the factory’s management.

A study published by the Thai Labour Campaign entitled “The Life of Football Factory Workers in Thailand,” interviewed workers at …

read more

A study published by the Thai Labour Campaign entitled “The Life of Football Factory Workers in Thailand,” interviewed workers at Molten Thailand and Mikasa Industries, two football producing facilities representative of the sweatshops in Chonburi province, Thailand. Molton Thailand produces for Adidas and supplied soccer balls for the 2006 World Cup. The report revealed that conditions at Molton Thailand included the following:

Wages far below adequate living wage. Monthly wages of 4,500 baht (US$118) for subcontracted workers and 9,700 baht (US$254) for most senior production workers. Neglecting other basic expenses, three simple meals per day required 77 percent of the subcontractors’ wages, and 36 percent of senior production workers’ wages

Working under a strict disciplinary policy. If workers forget to punch time cards or are a minute late, incentive money of 300-400 baht per month is cut

Unavoidable overtime due to the insufficient wages

Violence against union organizers. In March 2006, the Molten union president was followed to his car and shot at twice after finishing his night shift but escaped unharmed

In early 2005, Paxar fired 11 workers shortly after the union successfully organized the factory and opened negotiations with Paxar. According to the Turkish High Court of Appeal’s decisions, these firings were illegal, and Paxar was ordered to reinstate all 11 workers. The company has yet to take action as per the High Court’s instructions.

In late 2005, the Turkish factory dismissed at least 4 trade union members. Ayce Bagbakar, who joined the trade union in March 2006, was fired in April 2006. The Clean Clothes Campaign states that these cases, which are still underway, “represent clear-cut unfair dismissals.”

In August 2006, Textile, Knitting and Clothing Industry Workers' Union of Turkey (TEKSIF) unsuccessfully negotiated with Paxar on issues such as wage and bonus payments. The Clean Clothes Campaign asks consumers to pressure brands that buy from the Turkish factory to express their disapproval over these labor violations. Turkish factory’s clients include Gap, Levi Strauss, Wal-Mart, Disney, Adidas, Puma, and Nike.

read more

Oxfam International’s report entitled “Offside! Labour Rights and Sportswear Production in Asia,” examines how twelve international sports brands are confronting worker rights issues in factories, particularly the right to form and join trade unions. The report highlights several case studies, including Panarub and Dae Joo Leports, which supply for Adidas. In these two Indonesian factories, there have been a series of harassment and intimidation, particularly towards active union leaders addressing the poor working conditions. In response, Adidas has cooperated comprehensively to ensure the enforcement of worker rights. In Panarub, Adidas was proactive in the release of Ngadinah, the branch secretary of Perbupas union who was violently detained. While Adidas has shown interest in protecting workers’ right to organize, Oxfam International urges the corporation to do more. It states, “it is inconsistent for a company that professes to respect such [worker] rights to source more than half of its production in countries where it is legally either impossible or extremely difficult to exercise them.” A Perbupa union official also mirrors such sentiment: “Adidas actually has its code of conduct which supports freedom of association at Pararub. Yet, the main point is that the code is not fully implemented.”

The Ethical Trading Action Group (ETAG), in association with Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN) and AccountAbility, released a repor…

read more

The Ethical Trading Action Group (ETAG), in association with Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN) and AccountAbility, released a report entitled "Transparency Report Card 2006," evaluating and comparing 31 apparel retailers and brands in their efforts to address worker rights in their global supply chain. Retailers were rated in areas such as compliance with International Labor Organization standards (ILO), methods of monitoring code compliance, steps taken to communicate thoroughly, effectively, and transparently to the public. Adidas earned a score of 73 out of a possible 100.

The Fair Labor Association revealed in an audit released in November 2005 that factories making products for Adidas-Salomon AG sti…

read more

The Fair Labor Association revealed in an audit released in November 2005 that factories making products for Adidas-Salomon AG still had employees working excessive overtime, violating safety guidelines, and interfering with workers rights to organize. The report noted that the most common violations in factories were fire, health and safety related issues.

According to “Play Fair at the Olympics” a 2004 report by the Clean Clothes Campaign, a number of workers at an Indonesian factory…

read more

According to “Play Fair at the Olympics” a 2004 report by the Clean Clothes Campaign, a number of workers at an Indonesian factory producing for Fila, Asics, Puma, Nike and Adidas stated, “Pretty girls in the factory are always harassed by the male managers. The come onto the girls, call them into their offices, whisper in their ears, touch them at the waist, arms, neck, buttocks and breasts, bribe the girls with money and threats of losing their jobs to have sex with them.”

Adidas was confronted by the Dutch National Contact Point following charges by a Dutch non-governmental organization that a major …

read more

Adidas was confronted by the Dutch National Contact Point following charges by a Dutch non-governmental organization that a major Adidas supplier in India did not respect core labor standards, including the prohibition on the use of child labor, recognition of the right of workers to organize and engage in collective bargaining, payment of legal minimum wages and provision of adequate health and safety standards. Adidas agreed to external monitoring of its Indian supplier.

Oxfam Community Aid Abroad reported full-time workers for Adidas and Nike are paid wages $2 USD a day, which Oxfam does not consi…

read more

Oxfam Community Aid Abroad reported full-time workers for Adidas and Nike are paid wages $2 USD a day, which Oxfam does not consider to be a living wage. Nike argued that the factory entry-level worker is paid five to ten percent more than the legal minimum wage in Indonesia.

read more

Workers at Adidas-contracted factories in Indonesia have reported on-going verbal abuse problems, difficulties in obtaining legal annual leave, and work hazards (such as fingers lost to cutting machines or respiratory sickness). In spite of increases in the legal minimum wage, workers continue to live in poverty often sending their children to distant villages to be looked after by relatives or else going into debt to meet their basic needs.

PT Nikomas Gemilang in Indonesia employs more than 24,000 workers and produces for both Nike and Adidas.…

read more

PT Nikomas Gemilang in Indonesia employs more than 24,000 workers and produces for both Nike and Adidas. According to the Clean Clothes Campaign confidential testimony of sixteen workers who participated in interviews and focus groups in July 2001 and January 2002 reported that workers at Nikomas continue to be afraid that union involvement could put their lives in danger. They highlighted an incident in 2001 where a union official at the factory was attacked by a number of men with machetes in front of the factory as he made his way to work. He suffered wounds to his head and legs and required 18 stitches in the back of his head. (See related Alert item.)

In May 2003 animal rights group Viva! filed a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court against Adidas saying the company was sellin…

read more

In May 2003 animal rights group Viva! filed a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court against Adidas saying the company was selling shoes that made from kangaroo leather. Viva! argued that a 1970 California law banned the import and sale of certain types of animal products, including kangaroo and alligator. Adidas countered by saying that US federal law allowed the sale of kangaroo leather athletic footwear, and thus took precedent over the state law. In 2007, the California Supreme Court upheld the state ban on kangaroo leather shoes.